


Silver Promepolis

by BeruGalaxy



Category: Promare (2019)
Genre: "Happy Ending?" I'm not saying, A Lot of Death, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Dark, Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Minor Character Death, Monsters, Original Character Death(s), Slow Burn, Survival Horror, Winter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-30
Updated: 2020-11-02
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:29:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26732884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeruGalaxy/pseuds/BeruGalaxy
Summary: Burnish flames are a menace. They burn homes, destroy lives, and put the world at risk. But a carnivorous winter with no end in sight leaves the survivors of Promepolis to turn to the Burnish for help.
Relationships: Burning Rescue Members & Mad Burnish Members (Promare), Gueira/Meis (Promare), Lio Fotia/Galo Thymos (implied)
Kudos: 19





	1. Snow in the Desert

**Author's Note:**

> I've noticed a distinct lack of Horror Genre fanfiction/fanart in the Promare fandom, so here ya go! 
> 
> "Who will live and who will die?"

He was laying on the floor barely capable of moving. His eyes were nearly screwed shut, and he seethed like he was in immense pain, which he was. His other hand was clutching his side.

“I-It’s… I-I-It’s a-all m-m-my f-f-f-f-fault…” The man in the recording said, barely able to formulate the words as he shivered violently.

As Lio watched he knew the infection was on the side the man was holding. That meant only one thing, and the man didn’t have much time left. Lio hated him for what he had done, the number of people he had hurt, the countless deaths he was responsible for, but now he was getting what he deserved. He would suffer the same fate as his victims; one worse than death itself. That was a scary fact for Lio to take in, but he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the screen.

“Th… They’ll d-destroy e-e-e-everything… e-e-e-everyone i-is g-g-gone… i-it... i-it’s s-so c-c-cold... “

He screams

The camera is dropped as the man screams in pain. The sound could’ve been enough to turn Lio’s blood to ice, but that would be nothing compared to what the man must’ve been experiencing. 

"IT HURTS!! IT HURTS SO MUCH!!! WHY!? WHY DID- WHY DID I DO THIS?!!! 

He screamed and wailed in agony. The sound echoing throughout the desolate room and ringing in Lio’s ears, making him flashback to all the people he wasn’t able to save.

Their cries for help,

Their petrified faces,

The life leaving their eyes.

When the camera is picked up again, the footage is shaky, like he’s barely able to hold it up with what little strength he had left. Tears are rolling down the man's face as he looks pleadingly into the camera. 

"Th-there's… o-o-o-o-one… h-h-hope." 

The camera shakily turns to the rest of the destroyed room. Papers, shattered tables, and broken equipment litter the floor, while massive claw marks cover the walls. It focuses on what appears to be a built-in safe in the wall. 

"M-m-my s-s-s-safe... I-i-i-it h-h-has… I-i-i-i-it c-c-c-can s-s-save u-u-us…”

The camera turns back to his face. 

“I-i’m s-s-sorry...” He sobs. “I’m s-sorry… f-for e-e-everything… a-all m-m-my f-f-friends wh-who a-a-are d-d-dead… a-all th-th-the B-b-burnish i-i’ve k-k-killed… s-s-save e-e-everyone… p-please… I-i’m Begging Y-you! SAVE US ALL!! p-please… ”

The camera is dropped once again, and the recording cuts out.

~~~

Previously:

~~~

Lio sat atop the roof of the burnish settlement gazing out at the endless desert. He had fashioned the place out of what looked to be the remains of an old highway. The hollow concrete alcoves inside the structure formed rooms; personal spaces for each Burnish that lived here. Each one was sparsely decorated with clothing lines, blankets, canvases for privacy, and whatever personal belongings his people managed to hold on to from before they became Burnish. It was barely living, but it was enough to survive. 

Lookout duty was always a mundane task he admitted. Usually his generals, Gueira and Meis would keep him company, making the job less of a chore. Unfortunately, they were still passed out in their quarters after last night’s mission. It had taken all night, and they only arrived back at 6 in the morning, after their seven-hour long ride from Promepolis to the settlement. So they decided to catch up on their days worth of neglected sleep. Lio, who never really gave himself much sleep anyways offered to take up lookout duty alone despite his Generals’ insistence that he rest too, but Lio didn’t care because he never took anything for granted. He always thought of the worst possible outcome like Freeze Force following them back to the settlement and wanted to be prepared in case it ever happened.

But there was no sign of Freeze Force or any assailants. Because Lio had hidden the place all too well. The tall active volcanoes of Mt. Fennel surrounded their territory, hiding him and his people from thermal technology. The desert was a vast, empty sea of sand, dust, and heat, so any intruder could be spotted from miles away. And the proud city of Promepolis wasn’t even visible this far out into the wastes. No one would be able to find them.

The poor living conditions didn’t matter, this place was a safe haven. The Burnish could live here free from any danger or threats, and that thought made Lio proud. It gave him a rare feeling of peace and solace, something he hardly allowed himself to feel. So he relaxed and breathed a sigh of relief. His people will live happy, and safe. 

But as the hours went by, and the morning turned to noon, he noticed the day was… 

Off… 

No blaring rays of sunlight beat down across the desert. In fact, it was completely obscured by layers of cloud that blanketed the sky. The familiar scorching heat wasn’t present either. Nor was there the howling wind that blew across the sands. This was an oddly cool day. 

Something drifted in front of Lio’s face. He had to blink a few times in order to confirm what he saw.

It was snow.

Wait, what…?

He looked up confirming what he saw. More snow drifted down as he stared with bewilderment and surprise. He had lost track of exact dates but knew that it was late December, but snow in the desert was unprecedented, even during winter. He held his hand out and watched a couple of flakes fall onto his gloved hand, only for them to evaporate at his touch.

~~~

After a while, he stood up and made his way back into the settlement. Various Burnish greeted him as he walked past. Children played, adults talked, there was even the hum of generators providing the place with electricity. The settlement was bustling with activity and life. He continued walking down the length of the corridor until he reached the back rooms, where Mad Burnish made their living quarters. It was sectioned off from the rest of the settlement via large canvas sheets. He parted the canvas and went inside.

The space was big enough to be used as a small living room but was sparsely decorated with only a central table for planning and meetings, stools, large documents stolen from the Foresight Foundation, and more canvas sheets sectioning off smaller rooms for private spaces. A few Mad Burnish were seated at the central table. Though they weren’t planning anything, just talking to each other. One of them looked up when Lio entered.

“Hey, Boss!” It was Noah, an eighteen-year-old boy who had only been a member of Mad Burnish for less than a year.

“Hello Noah,” Lio greeted back. “Are Guiera and Meis awake?”

“No. They’re still asleep,” Noah replied, pointing to one of the canvased rooms. “We aren’t going on another mission are we?”

“No, Noah. I want you all to go up to the roof of the settlement. There’s something you need to see.” 

Another Mad Burnish looked up, an older member in her twenties, Neris. “What happened? Is it Freeze Force?” 

“It’s nothing like that,” Lio reassured. He proceeds where his Generals are while Neris leads everyone out of the room. 

Gueira and Meis’ private space was no different from everyone else’s. It was small and sparsely decorated with a few personal belongings. Both Generals were passed out on the mattress in a heap, completely shirtless, and their blanket had been kicked aside. They looked ridiculous, and this was a golden opportunity that not even Lio could pass on. Careful not to wake them he conjured two flames, the teal and pink glow lightly illuminating the room but not enough to stir them. Made a finger gun gesture with his hand.

Aimed.

And shot them directly at Gueira and Meis’ faces.

The two scrambled awake, cursing and rubbing their eyes trying to blink out the light spots. Gueira even tried to stand but tripped over Meis’ legs and fell over onto his stomach, prompting even more cursing from the blue-haired man. Lio couldn't hold back as he watched his Generals’ attempt to right themselves and had to lean against the wall for support as he laughed. 

“AUGH! What the hell, Boss!!” Gueira cried out trying to sit up.

"I'm sorry Gueira but I just couldn't help myself," Lio replied through a snicker. 

Gueira felt around for his jacket and shirt. Then stood up glaring at Lio.

“I’m gonna get you back for that one day, Boss.” He grumbled.

"Why'd you wake us up anyway, Boss?" Meis asked, still groggily rubbing his eyes.

Lio took a moment to stop laughing before he could answer. After taking a few breaths his serious demeanour resumed, and he remembered why he had come to wake them up in the first place.

“You need to come up the roof. You won’t believe it but it’s snowing.”

Now it was Guiera and Meis’ turn to laugh. “Snowing? In the desert?” 

“You’re right, Boss. I don’t believe it.”

Lio shrugged. “Honestly I wouldn’t believe it myself if I hadn’t seen it. Just come and look. Everyone else has already gone.” 

He waited for Guiera and Meis to get dressed before leading them out of Mad Burnish’s quarters. They walked back through the settlement before making it to the roof. They were greeted once again by the happy Burnish they passed along the way until finally, the reached the entrance to the roof and…

“Holy Shit!” Guiera exclaimed in surprise when they arrived.

True enough, it was snowing. Neris and the rest of Mad Burnish were already there. Everyone was marvelling at the strange miracle, watching the delicate white flakes drifting down from the sky. Most of them were in heavy conversation about what they were seeing, while others simply stared and let the snowflakes fall and melt in their hand as Lio had.

“You weren’t kidding, Boss,” Meis said in a quieter tone than his partner.

Gueira had spotted Neris in the crowd and walked over to her. She was having a conversation with Noah which was very audible amongst the crowd because of Noah’s loud excited voice.

“Wow! You know I used to see snow every year when I was a kid. New York was beautiful during Christmas. Cleaner too. It’s nice to see all that city grime buried under layers of snow.”

“Lucky you. In California, we had no such luxury. It was just hot all the time. The beach was your only way of cooling off.” She then spotted Gueira walking over to them. “Gueira! Good to see you and Meis are both awake.”

“Sup, Neris.” Gueira began talking to Neris and Noah while Meis remained with Lio. He shifted his attention to his other general who was eyeing the snow. A look of deep contemplation on his face.

“How is this possible?” He muttered, in a very concerned tone. “This shouldn’t be possible.” 

“Meis?” 

“This isn’t right, Boss,” Meis replied, turning back to face Lio. “It shouldn’t be this cold. Not in the desert. Something is wrong.”

Like Lio, Meis approached things with caution. Though he was capable of being reckless like Gueira, he was still more patient and strategic than his partner. Most of all, he had an uncanny ability to detect anything that was suspicious or out of place. Lio had only thought the weather was strange, but Meis made it clear that there was something more alarming about it. 

~~~

Word had spread around the settlement about the snow and many Burnish were visiting the roof to get a look, spending most of the day enjoying the beautiful sight. But Meis’ warning echoed within Lio's mind. His people’s safety and happiness always came first. If anything were to threaten them, he would not hold back. He kept a vigilant watch over the settlement, spending the whole day on look-out watching for any danger that dared approach his settlement. 

But hours passed, night fell, dinner was served, and ‘lights-out’ was issued. 

Nothing had happened. 

Gueira and Meis eventually convinced Lio into going to bed, and Neris offered to do the night-shift. As he was winding down, his suspicions still weighed heavy in his mind. 

What was going to happen? 

When will it happen?

Will he be able to protect everyone?

Will he be able to save everyone?

“I can hear you thinking, Boss.”

Lio was snapped out of his thoughts by Guiera. He and Meis had offered for Lio to sleep with them tonight; they often did so when they knew Lio was feeling restless. All three were sharing the same mattress in Gueira and Meis’ quarters. It was a tight fit, but it was snug. Meis took the left side. Gueira took the right. And Lio lay in between them both. Meis was already asleep, and Guiera turned out to still be awake.

“Neris is on lookout. If anything happens she’ll wake us up.” He said in reassurance. “Go to sleep, Boss. You’re thinkin’ about it too much.” Gueira yawned, “-Ahhhh-hhaaaaaa- I get you’re worried for everyone, but take a break once and a while. So you’ll have the energy to deal with it later.”

Lio didn’t like it but he begrudgingly accepted. At least he could get some well-needed rest so he would be ready for anything that might come. At least he wouldn’t fall asleep in the middle of his post and fall off the roof like what he nearly did an hour ago. And maybe he was thinking too much today. So far, the snow has not harmed the Burnish in any way. He would still take Meis’ word for it (of course!), but nothing has happened so far. 

That thought finally gave him the ‘peace-of-mind’ to let him fall asleep. His people were still safe. He’ll look into what happened today in the morning, and when the snow stopped, he can breathe a sigh of relief.

~~~

The snow did not stop.


	2. The Creature

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I intended to release this on Halloween day, but stuff happens. Enjoy.

“The snow’s gotten stronger, Boss,” 

It was early in the morning. Lio had just woken up and was exiting the room to find Neris at the meeting table, waiting for him. Lio sat down, Gueira and Meis following suit. And Neris gave her report on last night’s lookout. 

According to Neris, the snowfall didn’t let up throughout her watch. Which didn’t bother her much, she has gotten used to it but was unable to appreciate the weather in the darkness of the night. But something strange happened at around what she guessed to be 4 am. It was hard to tell due to the moon being obscured by the thick layers of cloud.

In one moment, the wind suddenly picked up. It was so sudden that she had to cover her eyes from the gust. When she opened them, the snow was falling heavier than it had before. Most of all, the sudden change didn’t cease throughout the rest of the night. It wasn’t like a sudden wind gust caused by active weather, but more like someone had flipped a switch to increase the intensity. Even when morning came and her shift ended, it didn’t subside. 

“Stronger?” Lio questioned.

“Yeah,” Neris continued. “It certainly took me by surprise.”

“Can snowstorms do that, Boss?” Gueira asked joining the conversation. “I’ve experienced rainstorms that get like that sometimes, but that was back in Miami. You won’t get much rain here anyway.”

The three continued their discussion, but all the while Meis didn’t say anything. The group eventually noticed his silence.

“Babe? You alright?” Gueira probed.

Meis didn’t answer. He kept his gaze down, his face screwed into a scowl, his mind deep in his own thoughts. He didn’t look angry, but he was definitely agitated by Neris’s report, and before anyone could say anything else, he stood up and walked out of the meeting room. 

“Meis?!” Gueira called out as Meis disappeared behind the canvas. 

Gueira got up and ran after him. Lio got up as well to follow them. He walked through the canvas and into the rest of the settlement where he saw Gueira and Meis running in the direction of the roof. He passed by numerous Burnish who gave concerned looks when they saw him. They had obviously seen Meis and Gueira. Lio gave them reassuring smiles to show that there wasn’t anything to worry about, before briskly walking after his Generals.

Lio makes it to the roof and the first thing he notices is the snow. Neris was right. What used to be a gentle snowfall had now intensified into a proper snowstorm. The winds were far stronger now, and Lio had to cover his face from the initial blast. Not even the desert winds were as strong as this. The snow was beginning to pile up. Some of it melted away at his feet. He then spotted Gueira and Meis at the edge of the roof and rushed over to them.

“Meis!” Lio shouted. 

Meis turned around to face Lio.

“Sorry for running off like that, Boss, I just had to come to see this for myself,” indicating the snow

Gueira was scrutinizing his partner. 

“Babe, what’s gotten into you!? I’ve never seen you like this! You’re always like, really calm and cool. So why-” He marches in front of Meis to face him, then pauses and gets a good look at Meis’s face. He finishes in a more hesitant tone. “W- Why do you look so scared?” 

He did in fact look scared. His hair was out of the way allowing for a clear view of his expression. He looked pale, and his eyes were wide open with fear. 

Meis has been on the run since he was seventeen. He’s faced down Freeze Force soldiers, and nearly got captured multiple times. Even his favourite hobby besides lightning fires was scary stories, and never once did any of those things faze him. Now for the first time in Lio and Gueira’s life have they seen him look genuinely afraid. 

“Babe, what’s wrong?” Gueira says gripping Meis’s arm, the fear growing in his voice now too.

Meis’s own hand grips Gueira’s outstretched one as if he’s looking for comfort. Noticing this, Gueira moved closer to embrace his partner. Meis hugs him back, giving him the ability to calm down so he can say what’s on his mind when Gueira lets him go.

“Something bad is going to happen. Like REALLY bad,” The statement alone was bone-chilling. “I don’t know what it is, but ever since this snowstorm started I’ve been getting this sick feeling in my stomach. Not literally, but I can’t stop thinking that we’re all in danger somehow.”

Suddenly a voice called out from behind them. 

“BOSS!”

The group turned to see Neris running towards them. She stops to catch her breath once she rejoins them. They had forgotten they left Neris behind in the meeting room. 

“We’re sorry, Neris. We didn’t mean to leave you behind like that.” Lio apologizes.

After regaining her breath Neris shrugs it off. 

“It’s fine, Boss. I’m actually glad you’re all here. There’s something else I need to tell you.”

That catches Lio’s attention. “Something else?” 

“I didn’t get to finish my report when you ran off, but this is important.”

Gueira and Meis had also turned their attention to Neris as well. All eyes were now on her.

“I’m certain I wasn’t imagining this when I saw it. It might’ve been dark, but I was still able to see it clearly. Around the time when the wind picked up, I saw- ” She pointed out a rock pillar a good distance away from the settlement. “Something standing beside that pillar.”

Everyone turned towards the rock pillar Neris pointed out. It was a lone pillar that stood beside piles of rubble left over by Lio’s training sessions. So he knew every inch of that rock. 

“It was huge.” Neris continues. “Like, half its height. I thought I was just imagining things, but it never went away. It was just standing there doing nothing.”

Half its height? The pillar was pretty tall. About twice the height of Lio’s armour. So that would make it-

“Eight-feet tall?” Lio murmured.

“Y-Yeah that’s about right. When I finally got a good look at it I thought it was a Freeze Force agent or something. But when I got up to tell you guys, it ran off. Like, it just ran away. It was fast too. Probably could’ve matched a Burnish Cycle at best.”

No one said a word after Neris finished. Everyone imagined a vivid image of some kind of eight-foot-tall figure in such close proximity to their home. It definitely couldn’t be Freeze Force, none of them could run as fast as what Neris described. And it couldn’t be a person either, no one in the world could be that monstrously tall. But the fact that it was there, meant it knew where they lived, and most apparent: it was watching them.

The silence weighed heavily on everyone until Lio spoke. “Let’s go back inside.”

Everyone shuffled back into the settlement. As Lio turned to leave himself, he decided that no one was allowed to go on the roof anymore. 

~~~

The thing that Neris saw that night haunted Lio’s mind. His thoughts scrambled for answers as to what it could possibly be. It’s been days since it’s first sighting. Nothing came up from their lookout scouts. Even squads sent to search the perimeter around Mt Fennel came back with nothing.

The worst part was that the fear of this creature had spread throughout the entire settlement. Because over the next few days, the lively atmosphere had vanished, becoming almost as cold as the weather outside. 

It started when Lio banned access to the settlement roof. He wasn’t met with protest. More like concern. The Burnish trusted Lio with their life and listened to his every decision. So they knew that something was wrong when he established that rule. Lio didn’t want to cause a panic, so he tried telling them everything was fine and this was just a precaution, but soon word got out about Neris’s sighting. Now the sounds of life and activity were replaced by a deafening silence. Everyone was still friendly to each other and greeted Lio warmly when he went to check them. But children had stopped playing, and adults had stopped talking, and people rarely visited their neighbours. 

Lio knew it was because they were scared. The Burnish feared for their lives every day. But it was still upsetting to know that they no longer feel safe anymore.

Right now though, Lio's attention was elsewhere. Today was their weekly supply run. Since none of them had prepared for this out-of-nowhere winter, they needed the extra rations fast. They changed their plans so that instead of gathering supplies to last another week, they would visit every stockpile they had scattered around the desert to last for as long as possible.

During their last meeting, they decided that Gueira and Meis will lead the supply run, Neris and Noah will accompany them, and Lio will stay behind to guard the settlement. This was in case of a worst-possible-scenario. Lio alone can protect the settlement along with the rest of Mad Burnish, while a well-coordinated group can manage any attacker while getting all the supplies necessary. 

The group is going to be taking one of the trucks they have stowed away underneath the settlement. They were frosted over, so they spent some time getting the ice off. Noah was holding the hood up as Gueira inspected the engine. Neris and Meis were busy defrosting the other trucks so they will stay intact for the winter to come. 

“Is it okay to say that I’m kinda nervous about going out there?” Noah asked sheepishly. “With that creature out there and all.”

Neris looked up at him from where she was kneeling. “Do you need me to protect you, Noah?” She teased. 

Noah, red-faced, retorted, “Hey! I can take care of myself!” He didn’t realise he had let the hood go. Thankfully Gueira caught it before it fell right on top of him.

“Watch it!” He shouted, before pulling his head out and slamming the hood closed. “I think we’re ready to go.” He announced dusting off his hands. Then with a snap of his fingers, the engine revved to life. Who needs a key when you can start it with your own fire.

Lio leaned against one of the pillars watching the rest. He was there to see them off. 

Meis and Neris walked towards the rest. 

“I’ll drive,” Meis stated. He opened the door and hopped inside. “Gueira, you lead. Neris and Noah, follow behind us.” 

Gueira, Neris and Noah then conjured their Burnish armour. Gueira’s was large and bulky as usual. The red flames radiated an intense heat, causing the air around them to steam. Neris’s was a lot sleeker, an appendage that resembled a shark’s tail trailed down from her helmet, sea-foam green flames still licking her armour. Noah’s was shorter than everyone else’s, but the sharp, neon yellow blades on his arms made up for his lack in intimidating size. Then they summoned their Burnish cycles. Gueira called Miami, Neris called Angeles, and Noah called New York.

Lio straightened up and approached the group, stopping at the truck to speak to Meis. In all honesty, Lio wasn’t looking forward to sending anyone out into the desert, and likely into the clutches of an unknown threat. But he knew this was too important. They needed these supplies for the winter

Lio caught Meis's eye.

“Watch each other’s backs out there.” He told his General.

Meis nodded in understanding. “If everything goes to plan, we should have this done by nightfall.”

“Then let’s go already!” Gueira hollered in a distorted voice through his helmet. With a final revving of their cycles, they were ready. "MAD BURNISH!"

“MAD BURNISH!!!”

They sped off into the desert, their fires blazing proudly as they cheered. Nothing gets them fired up more than riding their Burnish cycles. Lio stood there for a while, watching them disappear into the distance before going back inside.

~~~

Lio doesn't remember when he fell asleep. The last thing he does remember was checking on the remaining supplies and spending the next few hours planning for the winter. He probably retired to his quarters afterwards because someone was shaking him awake.

"Boss! Boss!!"

Lio's eyes flutter open and he groans. When his vision focuses he finally sees who was waking him up. She’s a girl younger than Noah; around 16. She was a lesser member of Mad Burnish, but Lio recognized her immediately

"Eris?” Lio sat up, now fully alert. “Eris, what’s wrong?”

She was obviously here to wake him up because of something urgent.

"Th-the blizzard picked up suddenly," she stammered. "We need help boarding up the entrances." 

Lio quickly got to his feet so Eris could lead him out of the room. The settlement was in a state of panic. Already Lio could hear the shrieking wind of what must be the blizzard outside. Even over the panicked shouting of everyone around him. They were covering up every opening they could find with more canvas taken from their own rooms to keep the heavy draft out, with Mad Burnish running around helping out in whatever way they could. 

Eris led Lio down the length of the settlement to the main entrance where, to his surprise, Gueira, Meis, Neris, and Noah were helping with boarding up the entrance. Meis turns around and notices Lio running towards them.

“Boss!” 

“Meis!” Lio halts once he’s in front of him. “How are you back so early? Were you able to get everything we needed?” 

Meis’s face fell. “Sorry, Boss. We were only able to make it to our first storehouse when the blizzard kicked in. With that kind of weather, we’d get lost trying to find our way further out. So we gathered everything we could.” His expression then became very serious. “But something happened while we were out there.”

“What is it?”

Meis continued a slight shaking within his voice. “We heard what we thought was some kind of howl, like from a wolf or coyote, but when we heard it again…” He pauses. “It was the scariest thing I’ve ever heard in my life. It didn’t sound like an animal and it definitely wasn’t a howl. More like something between a howl and a scream. We booked it back here as fast as we could after that.”

Lio was not expecting that answer. 

Suddenly, Gueira yelled, “Done!” He and the rest of the group had finished with the entrance. “We’re gonna have to use the back way now since that’s the only way with a door.”

“Gueira,” Lio stated, catching the man’s attention. “Meis said you heard something while out on your supply run. Is this true?” 

He replies, “Yeah. Scared the shit outta us. Sounded like something out of a horror movie.” 

The second confirmation caused a cold feeling to form in the pit of Lio’s stomach, which by right shouldn't be possible. 

“Sorry for not getting all the supplies you wanted, Boss. What we got is probably just gonna last us a month or two.”

“It’s fine Gueira. We’ll find a way to get more.” Lio reassured his general, but he cannot deny that this shortage was going to cost them majorly.

“We would’ve gotten more if it weren’t for this stupid blizzard coming out of nowhere! We’d get lost trying ta find our landmarks alone!”

Lio pondered that statement. “I haven’t seen it yet, but is it really that bad?”

Gueira nodded sharply. “It’s really bad, Boss. C’mon, we’ll show you.”

Gueira gestured for Lio to follow him and for Meis to come along. By this point, the Burnish had finished their job in covering up every opening with thick layers of canvas and were settling down after so much hard work. Gueira ended up leading Lio back to the settlement roof. Lio covered his face from the strong gust that he knew was coming. 

But when he lowered it, he gasped.

All he could see was an opaque white wall that surrounded them on all sides. The view of Mt Fennel had been reduced to looming silhouettes of the great volcano. The wind, now roaring louder than ever, threatened to break his eardrums. Nothing could get through this weather. Nothing could even see through this weather. 

“None of you were kidding.” Lio gapes. 

“Yup,” Meis replies curtly.

Lio couldn’t believe his eyes. The desert was completely gone. Now covered entirely by a curtain of ice and wind that was nigh-impossible to navigate through. 

He needs to think about how to salvage this. He knows the general direction of his checkpoints, but it will take a lot of work to scout them out all over again. He’ll need to have a proper search party set up. They can’t use landmarks to find their way anymore, so he’ll need to figure out a way to navigate even though they can’t see. 

All of a sudden, something dawns on Lio. Something he had completely forgotten over the past week since the winter first started, 

Promepolis. 

They had food stored in various locations around the desert, but many of those items originated from Promepolis. If they were going to gather more from there, they’ll have to be careful. It’ll be harder to hide the fact that your Burnish if the snow melts at your feet whenever you walk. God, he hopes all of the Burnish who still live in Promepolis is alright. But more importantly, how were they handling this winter? Obviously, they should be doing better than them. Everyone there had a home, plenty of food, indoor heating, so they should be fine. In the back of Lio's mind, he wonders how Kray Foresight might be managing his city during this time. 

But one thing Lio knows right now is that he wants to go back inside. Not only to plan this out but to get away from this weather. The wind shrieked and howled, like a thousand voices keening at once. It was unsettling, and they had a long day ahead of them, and even longer months.

“We should go back insi-mh!” His words were halted by Meis’s hand covering his mouth. 

Meis looked at him, now on high alert. “Shh! Do you hear that?” He whispered. “Listen carefully.”

All he heard was the sounds of the blizzard. Just the layers of blustering wind clashing and colliding, producing a bombardment noise. But, there was something within that noise. It was faint, barely audible, just in between the layers. The wind howled, but something howled with it, almost blending in. Then it became clearer, it was cutting through the noise becoming more distinct. It was a piercing sound, not like that of an animal. Something between a howl, and a scream.

“SHIT!!!” 

Lio jumped from Guiera’s exclamation. He looked more panicked than Lio had ever seen him.

“IT MUST’VE FOLLOWED US!” 

“What followed you?!!” Lio exclaimed back. 

Suddenly something broke through the noise. It was a cacophony of howling screams, all coming from different directions. It surrounded them. Whatever was making it was circling them, like a pack of wolves ready to pounce on their prey.

“OH FUCK! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!!!” Gueira cried out, his eyes darting in all directions. 

“Boss?!” Meis looked at Lio, his face now paler than it had ever been. Lio didn’t need to be told twice. 

“Get everyone down to ground level!” Lio commanded, his Mad Burnish Leader persona kicking it at high gear. “Get yourselves ready for a fight!”

Lio dashed back inside, Gueira and Meis following suit. He reaches the main corridor, where Mad Burnish were still hanging around.

“MAD BURNISH!” Lio’s voice rings out like a siren. Everyone turns to look at him. “WE ARE UNDER ATTACK! EVERYONE ELSE, GET INTO LOCKDOWN!” Immediately the corridor was filled with the sounds of clamouring leather boots. 

The Settlement was now on red alert. Most of Mad Burnish followed Gueira and Meis to the exit, while Lio led a few to the roof. Everyone else hid inside their rooms and shut off all the lights and generators. Fires flared as the few with Lio reached their battle stations. Some whipped out bows, others conjured rifles. They positioned themselves at the edge of the roof aiming their weapons into the blizzard.

Lio leapt down, flames swirled and solidified into thick plates of black metal as he descended until he was completely encased in fearsome Burnish armour. He landed perfectly on pointed feet and ran forward, the frost shrinking to water and slush at his very presence. Gueira and Meis joined him, both decked out in their own armour.

They bordered the settlement. Mad Burnish troops on all sides forming a defensive circle around their home. Some held weapons, some were on their bikes, others just held their flames ready, prepared to incinerate anything that dared to approach. Lio had his bow out, several arrows drawn and ready to fire. Aside from the winds of the blizzard, all was silent. No one moved, spoke, or blinked, waiting for something to happen.

Lio kept his bow aimed into the endless expanse of what used to be the desert. He kept his eyes trained on the vast space, trying to spot whatever had made that terrifying sound. The faint light and heat from his fire allowed for a little illumination, but it was enough to see a good distance out.

Something stepped out of the blizzard.


End file.
